Picture above is the angel David and Cathy Lyons placed on their step daughter's grave but it's no longer there because it's been stolen.

Burying a loved one is hard for everyone, especially parents–

But just imagine coming back to find something has been stolen from their special resting place.

It’s happened to one Savannah step father, and he tells me he not only wants answers, but wants the stolen item returned.

News 3’s Courtney Cole has this News 3 On Your Side report..

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“Beautiful person, passed away much too young…”

David Lyons is talking about the loss his step daughter, Elke Pamela Hester.

Hester died in November 2003, right before her 37-th birthday.

“…Unexplained, left a 6-year-old child…just a devastating blow to us and the whole family, ” Lyons told News 3.

To honor her, Lyons and his wife Cathy created a veryspecial burial plot at the Gumbranch Baptist Church in Hinesville…

…Where they placed a one-of-a-kind Italian-marble angel statue on top of her grave stone.

“We had the angel put there in 2004, and November 13th of this year, my wife was here doing her Christmas decoration on the plot and the angel was her,” said Lyons.

But they had no idea that might be the last time they ever see it…

“December the 1st, we had a maintenance man come out here to do some cleaning on the stone and the angel and the angel was gone. So sometime between November the 13th and December the 1st the angel is missing,” Lyons said.

Lyons, the Chief of Police for Garden City, says he’s seen a lot of things, but never anything like this.

“We were shocked first– and then devastation and disbelief came in, because you know that angel was put there for a purpose. That angel gave us great comfort..and somebody took that away, for what reason?”

Lyons says even if he never finds out why, he just wants whoever did it to bring it back.

“It would mean everything. It would restore a little bit of our faith in humanity to get it back.”

…Back where it belongs, guarding the grave of someone Cathy and David Lyons will always view as their angel.

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Right now, investigators say they’re unsure of who removed it or how they removed it…

But anyone with information is asked to contact the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Division at (912)-876-4555.

When you call, ask for Detective Dustin Rushing or Captain James Synder.

Lyons also says there will be a substantial cash reward for information that leads to the return of the angel.